


My tiny Valentine

by Miss_Von_Cheese



Series: Thunderstruck [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Hospital, Cheesy, Fluff, Hospitals, M/M, Misunderstandings, Online Dating, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Romance, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-07
Updated: 2014-05-07
Packaged: 2018-01-23 21:56:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1580894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Von_Cheese/pseuds/Miss_Von_Cheese
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thor, who works as a nurse at the Brooklyn hospital, and Steve, his patient, apparently have nothing in common. But on Valentine's Day, they're both going on dates with "that special someone" they met online.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My tiny Valentine

“Wow, ready to leave, Rogers? You haven’t even had breakfast yet!” the young nurse exclaimed with a smirk as he entered room 107, maneuvering his trolley like a race car.

As usual when he was finally allowed to get out after a long stay, Rogers’ enthusiasm was heartbreaking, and Thor had to remember he couldn’t pamper all his patients like little brothers. The young man was already fully dressed, his stuff packed, ready to fly away. Thor couldn’t blame him, he would have lost his mind a long time ago if he had stayed so many times in this damn hospital.

“Yeah, I just can’t wait to get out!” Steve nodded, almost bouncing on his bed.

Thor pretended to be upset as he stuck the thermometer in Steve’s ear. “I get it, you don’t wanna see me anymore.”

Steve shrugged, not even annoyed. “It’s not that I don’t like the hospital but if I can’t admire another sight soon I’m gonna become colorblind… white walls, white beds, white clothes, it’s making me sick.”

“Oh, we wouldn’t like that!”

Thor wrote down Steve’s vital parameters and helped him up to place the end of a stethoscope on his skinny chest. He listened as Steve consciously breathed in, then out. It was not perfect yet but with his poor lungs it would never be. At least he was able to get out of bed and get dressed by himself.

“Besides, I have plans,” Steve announced with a grin. “I have a date tonight!”

Thor started pumping the blood pressure monitor; he could almost circle Steve’s biceps with his fingers. “You do? Awesome! Is she pretty?”

Steve’s eyes got darker for a second and he looked away, then down, blushing slightly. “I… uh, I don’t know, we met online. It’s the first time we’ll see each other.”

Thor couldn’t contain a small smile. “On Valentine’s Day? That’s sweet, I’m sure you two are gonna have fun.”

The nurse pulled down Steve’s sleeve. It was funny because he too had a date tonight, a first date with someone he met online. But unlike his patient’s date, that someone was a guy. And any other time he would have been suspicious of meeting a man he had never seen before, but Thor didn’t care because they could chat for hours about anything and everything, they had similar views on so many topics, they liked the same movies, had the same taste in food, and linked each other to good music. They even made mixtapes for each other, and skyped on the most improbable time zones, even after Thor’s night shifts.

They had something special going on. Thor felt it was about alchemy and feeling good together more than physical attraction, so he didn’t care if the guy who showed up happened to be fifty and balding, or ugly, or even a girl --that would be a premiere but he would take this chance. Because every notification, message or tweet from ShieldBoy11229 brightened his days and made him smile.

“You’ll be careful, okay? You never know what kind of person is behind the screen,” he added, concerned about his little protege. “Meet her in a public place, tell someone where you’re going…”

Steve rolled his eyes. “It’s okay, big boy, I know what I’m doing. I can take care of myself.”

“I know you do, especially when you show up in the emergency room after a street fight,” Thor snickered.

“Just because I’m not like you doesn’t mean I’m gonna let assholes voice their nasty opinions out loud!” Steve pouted with a frown, crossing his bony arms as if he were ready to fight Thor too.

The nurse laughed and closed his file. Just as he was about to give Steve some more advice for his date, the door opened and doctor Foster entered the room. She took the file from Thor’s hand, saluted them both, then noticed Steve’s outfit.

“Hey, hey, where are you going? You were supposed to wait for my approval, I want to keep you under observation for a couple of days, your blood pressure isn’t stable, and…”

“But…” Steve gulped, his face turning paler.

Thor saw the happy grin disappear, replaced with so much disappointment and despair he thought the boy was going to cry. Steve would probably have if he hadn’t been used to hiding his feelings to the hospital crew. With a sigh Thor turned to Jane.

“I think he’s as healthy as someone like him can be, doc’. We might need this bed soon, don’t you think?”

Jane shook her head and frowned, wondering why a nurse was discussing her orders. She was not a bad woman, she was just overzealous and liked to make sure her patients were healthy enough.

“We have plenty of beds and his blood results are not fully satisfying yet. It’s safer to keep him for a night or two. What difference does it make?”

Thor looked at Steve who waited for his sentence, shoulders hunched, looking even more miserable and skinny than usual. He seemed to have expected this evening for a long time and Thor couldn’t stand to prevent him from going. It was probable Steve would already be disappointed, and that was if his date showed up at all, there was no need to add to his misery.

“Please doc, it’s Valentine’s Day,” Thor tried, using his best puppy eyes. “He’s got a date tonight, don’t do this to him.”

Foster let out an annoyed sigh, she gave Thor a glance that meant he would regret this later, then shrugged. “Well, if you’ve got a date then… but come back if you experience any kind of discomfort. Be careful.”

“I --I will!” Steve bursted with joy, jumping off the bed. “Thank you doctor… thank you, Thor!”

Thor winked at his young patient, too pleased with his happiness to even think about the night shifts he would have to do to compensate his insubordination. He really liked Steve, after taking care of him so many times he had grown used to that stubborn little shrimp. Steve was almost the mascot of the hospital, often sick but always full of hope and dreams. He already stayed there often before Thor even worked here, and everybody knew him.

Thor knew he could have perhaps crossed the line and been less professional towards him if Steve had been gay, and if he didn’t already have feelings for ShieldBoy11229. But Steve was --not so secretly-- his favorite patient, and Thor knew he would see him again soon anyway, at least for his monthly checkups.

.

By the end of the afternoon, as he walked to the pub where he was supposed to meet his date, Thor couldn’t help thinking about Steve. He would miss this little guy. Steve was the only patient to treat him right, ask him about his day, joke with him as he worked. He hoped he would have a good night, that his date wouldn’t be disappointed too. The boy wasn’t exactly an Apollo but he had a big heart, it would be absurd to stop at his looks.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and Thor couldn’t contain a smile as he saw a text from ShieldBoy. He couldn’t explain it, this guy had turned him into a big teddy bear, every message, every word from him made Thor want to laugh and grin.

_{ShieldBoy11229: You’re still coming, right?}_

_{Mjölnir: Are you kidding me? I’m on my way! :D}_

{ _ShieldBoy11229: Cool! I’m almost there too.}_

{ _Mjölnir: Can’t wait to meet you, handsome. ;)}_

Thor avoided a lamppost as he walked, stumbled on a trash can but it didn’t stop him, he even walked faster, eyes on his phone, ignoring all the young couples in the streets and the late men buying flowers in a hurry.

_{ShieldBoy11229: I’m wearing brown pants and a white shirt, and I have a red rose in my hand. I’m the only one around you should recognize me.}_

_{ShieldBoy11229: Ps: Don’t expect me to be handsome you’d be disappointed.}_

_{ShieldBoy11229: Pps, You don’t have to take the rose, it’s cheesy I know.}_

Thor tapped his pocket where was staying a small leather bracelet that matched the one around his own wrist. Of course, they were both cheesy, but that was why they got along so well!

_{Mjölnir: Shit, I have jeans and a Fintroll t-shirt, I’m not as classy as you. Should I go home and get changed?}_

He laughed when he received the last _“No, no, get your ass over here, I’ve waited for too long!”_ They were both starting to get impatient, after talking regularly for the last three months they couldn’t wait to meet each other now. Thor was almost certain the instant he would see him, he would grab his ShieldBoy and kiss him right away, no matter what he looked like.

There was something about the way they talked together, as if they had known each other forever. Thor didn’t know what he looked, or smelled, or sounded like but he knew that he liked his eggs soft-boiled with a lot of pepper even if it made him sneeze, that he didn’t drink caffeine but loved tiramisu, that he liked to sleep on the right side and sing in the shower. It was as if they lived together already, except that if it was virtual, to Thor is felt very real.

The nurse was almost running as he turned around the last street corner. He had never felt that for anyone in his life, and hell, his date could even be Satan in person that he would love him anyway!

When he got closer to the pub, heart pounding in his chest, he slowed down but everything happened too fast. He saw the tiny silhouette turn towards him, they faced each other.

Thor quickly looked around but no one else in the street was wearing a white shirt, brown pants and a red rose in their hand. No one but him.

“Steve?” he choked, still not certain of how to read the situation.

His little patient looked up as he got closer, big blue eyes filled with confusion. Steve detailed his t-shirt, his jeans, then licked his lips, visibly as shocked as him. “Mjölnir?”

Thor’s heart missed a beat just to hear his username squeaked by the little voice. “... ShieldBoy?”

They both stood in the middle of the street, too stunned to even move. Of all the plot twists he had imagined, Thor could never have thought of this one. ShieldBoy was the guy he saw every day at work, the one he had warned about internet dates a few hours ago, the one whose blood he was puncturing just yesterday. And as he thought about the last few weeks, it all fell into place. Of course, Steve could chat with him at any hour of the day or night, with his tablet constantly plugged next to his bed. Of course he had time to spend online! Thor’s mind was racing. He placed a hand on his open mouth, looked at Steve who seemed worried.

“You… you’re a freakin’ liar!” Thor exclaimed, feeling betrayed.

Steve’s eyebrows raised and he almost dropped his rose. “Excuse me? I never said I was sexy or anything, I warned you I wasn’t handsome!”

“No, no, no, I’m not talking about that,” Thor said. He shook his head, crossed his arms with a frown. “All week you’ve been like ‘I’m fine, just a little tired’... a little tired? You were barely conscious in a hospital bed!”

“Yeah well, how should I have done it? ‘Hello, I’m Steve, and here’s the list of all my chronic illnesses’, it’s already hard enough to find someone…”

Thor ran his fingers in his long hair, giving Steve a sorry look. “I thought… I thought I mattered enough for you to tell me the truth.” If he had known! He didn’t even know what he would have done. “And you’ve let me tell you that it would be better after a good night of sleep when you could barely breathe!”

Steve sadly looked away. He stroked his neck, blushing harder. “Sorry, I was trying to escape all that… Mjölnir was my distraction, it was nice having someone who didn’t pamper me for once, someone who treated me as a person and not a sick child.”

Thor saw his young date’s shoulders slump, his face turn even sadder. Steve turned his heels and started to walk away.

“Really sorry I made you lose your time,” he added with a last look behind that broke Thor’s heart.

“Hey, hey wait… where are you going?” Thor asked, rather stupidly.

Steve shrugged. “Don’t know, perhaps catch up on TV shows and eat stuff that doctor Foster would disapprove of.”

“What about our date? You promised to show me your De Niro impersonation!”

This time, Steve dared to look at him with a small smirk. He seemed confused. Thor was too, all he knew was that he didn’t want to lose contact with his ShieldBoy, he couldn’t stand to go back to this empty life he led before they met.

“You still wanna go out with me?” Steve asked without believing it.

“Sure, what makes you think I don’t want to?”

“Uh… you started yelling at me the moment you saw me?”

Thor bit his lower lip and shook his head. “Right. As you can see, in real life, I’m a full time idiot. Sorry, I… I’ve grown really attached to ShieldBoy, it just hurts to know that he’s… that you were in pain.”

He pulled the leather wristband out of his pocket and handed it to Steve who took it with a curious look.

“It’s for you, I thought that… we could have the same. If you want.”

Steve let him tie it around his skinny wrist with a touched smile. “Thank you, it’s great. I love it. You didn’t have to, but I love it. Here’s the promised rose. You don’t have to…”

“But I want it,” Thor chuckled, only realizing that he was finally standing in front of the one he had fallen in love with during the last few weeks. He broke the rose’s stem to make it shorter then tucked it behind his ear. “Do I look good?”

“Exactly as I imagined you!” Steve laughed and took his hand to pull him towards the pub. “Very glam-rock.”

Thor laughed, holding his hand tightly. He recognized ShieldBoy now in the way Steve talked, how he joked and teased him. Just before they stepped into the pub though, Thor held him back and sat on a low wall to get closer to his size. He took Steve’s skinny hands in his and kissed his knuckles.

“Hey, I wanna apologize. I really suck sometimes.”

“I hope you do, sometimes!” Steve teased with an amused grin. “And I’m sure you’re good at it.”

Thor snorted, pulling him closer. They fell into each other’s arms, squeezed each other tightly. Steve pressed his lips on Thor’s cheek.

“I’m really glad you’re here, big guy. Thank you for coming.”

Thor ruffled Steve’s hair, kissed his temple. “I’m glad you’re here too, I didn’t expect such a hot dude. Nice to meet you, ShieldBoy.” He raised a confused eyebrow. “Why the shield, by the way?”

Steve looked away with an embarrassed pout. “Oh, uh… just some kind of ridiculous superstition I guess. I’ve always loved shields, since my immune system is kinda wonky. And you? Mjölnir?”

“Because I have a really big hammer?” Thor chuckled, trying to hide the affect his boyfriend’s last words had on him.

“I hope I’m worthy of raising it, then!”


End file.
